G11B27/19—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier

G11B27/28—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording

G11B27/32—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier

H04N21/442—Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk

H04N7/17318—Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

H—ELECTRICITY

H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE

H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

H04N9/00—Details of colour television systems

H04N9/79—Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

H04N9/80—Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback

H04N9/82—Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only

H04N9/8205—Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

G—PHYSICS

G11—INFORMATION STORAGE

G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER

G11B20/00—Signal processing not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Circuits therefor

G11B20/00086—Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy

G—PHYSICS

G11—INFORMATION STORAGE

G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER

G11B20/00—Signal processing not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Circuits therefor

G11B20/00086—Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy

G11B20/00855—Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy involving a step of exchanging information with a remote server

G11B20/00869—Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy involving a step of exchanging information with a remote server wherein the remote server can deliver the content to a receiving device

G—PHYSICS

G11—INFORMATION STORAGE

G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER

G11B20/00—Signal processing not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Circuits therefor

G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER

G11B2220/00—Record carriers by type

G11B2220/40—Combinations of multiple record carriers

G11B2220/41—Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title

G—PHYSICS

G11—INFORMATION STORAGE

G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER

G11B2220/00—Record carriers by type

G11B2220/60—Solid state media

G11B2220/61—Solid state media wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content

G—PHYSICS

G11—INFORMATION STORAGE

G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER

G11B2220/00—Record carriers by type

G11B2220/60—Solid state media

G11B2220/65—Solid state media wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata

Abstract

The recording medium of this invention is recorded
with a plurality of digital data and a plurality of
reproduction path information defining a reproduction order
of the plurality of digital data, wherein the plurality of
reproduction path information includes first reproduction
path information defining a reproduction order of all of
the plurality of digital data recorded on the recording
medium and second reproduction path information defining
a reproduction order of at least one of the plurality of
digital data recorded on the recording medium.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention relates to a recording medium
on which digital data having audio information and video
information is recorded in a rewritable state, and a
recording apparatus and a reproduction apparatus for such
a recording medium.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART:

As recording media on which digital data is recorded
in a rewritable state, mini discs (MD) are conventionally
known. An MD has a recording capacity of 140 MB. An MD
carries digital audio data recorded in a compressed state,
so that audio information lasting about 75 minutes can be
recorded on the MD. Many of users who have bought a music
CD wish to record music information consisting of ten or
more pieces recorded on the CD on an MD. This style of
listening to music information recorded on an MD has been
widely spreading.

With the recent progress of the optical disc
technology, a rewritable recording medium having a large
capacity, such as a DVD-RAM (digital versatile disc random
access memory), has been developed. A DVD-RAM has a
recording capacity of 4.7 GB, which is 30 times or more as
large as that of an MD. While an MD can only carry music
information consisting of ten or so pieces, a DVD-RAM can
carry music information consisting of a hundred or more
pieces.

Due to recent wide-spread Internet technology,
music distribution by so-called electronic commerce (EC)
is gaining popularity, where users retrieve favorite music
data from a home page by downloading via their personal
computers and settle the account by a settling means such
as a credit card. By combining such a music distribution
via Internet (hereinafter, referred to as an electronic
music distribution) with the DVD-RAM, an environment in
which users can easily record a huge amount of music data
on one recording medium has been gradually realized.

However, the conventional recording media have the
following problems.

An MD has only one information unit which defines
the reproduction order of music data recorded on the MD (i.e.,
a table of contents (TOC)). Such a TOC is used to define
the reproduction order of all music data recorded on the
MD. Therefore, it is not possible to define the reproduction
order of only specific music data among all the music data
recorded on the MD.

Some reproduction apparatuses used for reproducing
information from an MD have a program reproduction function
capable of reproducing only selected specific music data
in a predetermined order. Such an order of music data
programmed using the program reproduction function is held
in the reproduction apparatus only temporarily, and is
deleted when the disc is replaced with another one.
Therefore, the user must program the reproduction order of
music data and the like whenever the disc is reproduced.

Since a large number of music data are recorded on
a large-capacity recording medium such as a DVD-RAM, the
user finds difficulty in identifying the respective music
data recorded on the recording medium. For example, it is
considerably troublesome for the user to select a plurality
of music data from a recording medium carrying a hundred
or so music data and define the reproduction order of the
selected plurality of music data.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The recording medium of this invention is recorded
with a plurality of digital data and a plurality of
reproduction path information defining a reproduction order
of the plurality of digital data, wherein the plurality of
reproduction path information includes first reproduction
path information defining a reproduction order of all of
the plurality of digital data recorded on the recording
medium and second reproduction path information defining
a reproduction order of at least one of the plurality of
digital data recorded on the recording medium.

Alternatively, the recording medium of this
invention is a recording medium for recording a plurality
of digital data and reproduction path information defining
a reproduction order of a plurality of digital data, wherein
at least one of the plurality of digital data is digital
data which has not been recorded on the recording medium,
and the reproduction path information includes flag
information indicating whether or not each of the plurality
of digital data has been recorded on the recording medium.

In one embodiment of the invention, the reproduction
path information includes address information indicating
a location from where the digital data will be obtained.

According to another aspect of the invention, a
recording apparatus for recording information on the
recording medium according to the present invention is
provided. The recording apparatus includes: a generator
for generating the plurality of reproduction path
information; a recorder for recording the plurality of
digital data and the plurality of reproduction path
information on the recording medium; and an editing section
for editing at least the reproduction order defined by the
second reproduction path information.

Alternatively, the recording apparatus of this
invention for recording information on the recording medium
according to the present invention includes: a controller
for controlling obtaining the reproduction path
information; and a recorder for recording the reproduction
path information on the recording medium.

In one embodiment of the invention, when the flag
information indicates that the digital data has not been
recorded on the recording medium, the controller controls
obtaining the digital data from outside the recording
apparatus in accordance with the address information.

In another embodiment of the invention, the
recording apparatus further includes an editing section for
editing the reproduction path information.

According to still another aspect of the invention,
a reproduction apparatus for reproducing information from
the recording medium according to the present invention is
provided. The reproduction apparatus includes: a retrieval
section for retrieving selected reproduction path
information among the plurality of reproduction path
information recorded on the recording medium; and a
reproduction section for reproducing at least one digital
data of the plurality of digital data in accordance with
the selected reproduction path information.

Alternatively, the reproduction apparatus of this
invention for reproducing information from the recording
medium according to the present invention includes: a
retrieval section for retrieving the reproduction path
information recorded on the recording medium; a controller
for determining whether or not the digital data has been
recorded on the recording medium based on the flag
information in the reproduction path information; and a
reproduction section for reproducing the digital data when
the digital data has been recorded on the recording medium,
or skipping reproduction of the digital data when the digital
data has not been recorded on the recording medium.

According to still another aspect of the present
invention, a program storage medium for storing a program
which makes a computer record information on the recording
medium according to the present invention is provided. The
program storage medium includes the steps of: generating
the plurality of reproduction path information; recording
the plurality of digital data and the plurality of
reproduction path information on the recording medium; and
editing at least the reproduction order defined by the second
reproduction path information.

Alternatively, the program storage medium for
storing a program which makes a computer record information
on the recording medium according to the present invention
includes the steps of: controlling obtaining the
reproduction path information; recording the reproduction
path information on the recording medium; and obtaining the
digital data from outside the recording apparatus in
accordance with the address information when the flag
information indicates that the digital data has not been
recorded on the recording medium.

Thus, the invention described herein makes possible
the advantages of (1) providing a recording medium which
allows the user to specify music data to be reproduced among
a large number of music data recorded on the recording medium
and to specify the reproduction order of the selected music
data quite easily, and (2) providing a recording apparatus
and a reproduction apparatus for such a recording medium.

These and other advantages of the present invention
will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading
and understanding the following detailed description with
reference to the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a view illustrating a structure of
digital data recorded on a recording medium of Example 1
according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a
construction of a recording apparatus of Example 2 according
to the present invention;

Figure 3 is a view illustrating an example of
reproduction path information presented to a user;

Figure 4 is a view illustrating an example of
detailed information on one of the reproduction path
information presented to a user;

Figure 5 is a view illustrating an example of
detailed information on the reproduction path information
recorded on a recording medium;

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a processing by the
recording apparatus;

Figure 7 is a flowchart showing another processing
by the recording apparatus;

Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a
construction of a reproduction apparatus of Example 3
according to the present invention;

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing a processing by the
reproduction apparatus;

Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating a
construction of an editing apparatus of Example 4 according
to the present invention; and

Figures 11A to 11C show an exemplified edit screen.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the present invention will be
described by way of examples with reference to the
accompanying drawings.

In the following description, music data is used as
an example of data to be recorded and/or reproduced. However,
the present invention is not limited to music data, but any
digital data may be used for recording and/or reproduction.
For example, image data, text data, or a combination thereof
may be used for recording and/or reproduction.

(Example 1)

Figure 1 illustrates a structure of digital data
recorded on a recording medium 106 of Example 1 according
to the present invention. The recording medium 106 is
typically a rewritable optical disc such as a DVD-RAM. The
DVD-RAM has a sector structure. Each sector includes 2 KB
digital data stored therein. The DVD-RAM stores file system
information for managing a plurality of sectors as a file
in a predetermined sector group. The file system employed
in the DVD-RAM conforms with a file system defined by ISO
13346.

According to the present invention, digital data is
stored in the recording medium 106 in the form of a file.
The file includes a data management section 201 and a music
data section 202.

The data management section 201 includes a music
data management portion 203 which manages music data 205
recorded on the recording medium 106 and a reproduction path
information management portion 204 which manages
reproduction path information 211 recorded on the recording
medium 106.

The music data section 202 includes N number of
music data 205 (i.e., music data #1 to #N) recorded thereon
(wherein 0 ≤ N ≤ 999). The music data may be music data
recorded in a linear pulse code modulation (LPCM) method,
for example.

The music data management portion 203 includes
information for managing the N music data 205 (i.e., music
data #1 to #N) recorded on the recording medium 106. More
specifically, the music data management portion 203
includes the number of music data 206 indicating the number
of music data 205, an index number 207 of the music data 205,
an ISRC (International Standard Recording Code)
information 208 of the music data 205, and a recording
address 209 of the music data 205.

The number of music data 206 indicates the number
of music data 205 recorded on the recording medium 106. In
the case where 999 music data 205 at maximum can be recorded
on the recording medium 106, the number of music data 206
is any integer value from 0 to 999 inclusive.

The index number 207 is defined for each music
data 205 to be used when the music data 205 is referred to.
For example, the index number 207 for the music data #1 is
"1", and the index number 207 for the music data #N is "N".
The index number 207 is used to specify the music data to
be reproduced among the music data #1 to #N recorded on the
recording medium 106.

The ISRC information 208 is unique identification
information for identifying the music data 205, and uniquely
allocated to each music data 205. The ISRC information 208
is composed of a country code (two ASCII characters), a
recorded year (two-digit figure), and a serial number
(five-digit figure), for example.

The recording address 209 is information indicating
the position of the music data 205 recorded on the recording
medium 106, and includes a recording start address and a
recording end address.

The above information managed by the music data
management portion 203 corresponds to the TOC (table of
contents) of an MD. In an MD, the reproduction order of all
music data recorded on the MD is defined by the TOC.

The reproduction path information 211 defines the
reproduction order of a predetermined number of music
data 205 among the N number of music data 205 recorded on
the recording medium 106. The predetermined number is not
limited to N, but may be any integer from 0 to N inclusive.
For example, the reproduction path information #1 defines
the reproduction order of "music data #1 → music data #2
→ music data #3" for the music data #1 to #3. The
reproduction path information #2 defines the reproduction
order of "music data #5 → music data #3 → music data #6
→ music data #4" for the music data #3 to #6.

The information managed by the reproduction path
information management portion 204 is different from the
TOC of an MD in that, at least, the former can hold a plurality
of information each of which defines the reproduction order
for the music data 205, and can define the reproduction order
for only a predetermined number of music data 205 among the
N number of music data 205 recorded on the recording
medium 106. Moreover, as will be described hereinafter,
the information managed by the reproduction path information
management portion 204 is different from the TOC of an MD
in that the former can further define the reproduction order
of music data 205 which are not recorded on the recording
medium 106.

The reproduction path information 211 includes the
number of music data 212, a reproduction path information
name 213, and attribute information 214 for music
numbers #1 to #L. The order of the entry of the attribute
information 214 indicates the reproduction order. For
example, when the entry of the attribute information 214
is in the order of music numbers #1, #5, and #3, the
reproduction apparatus reproduces the music data in the
order of music numbers #1, #5, and #3.

The number of music data 212 indicates the number
of music data L included in the reproduction path
information 211 (wherein 1 ≤ L ≤ 999).

The reproduction path information name 213 is
character information representing the name of the
reproduction path information 211. The reproduction path
information name 213 is displayed on a display screen, for
example, during reproduction.

The attribute information 214, which represents the
attribute of music data, includes ISRC information 215, a
music name 216, a singer name 217, a recorded flag 218, an
index number 219, URL (uniform resource locator)
information 220, compression form information 221, and the
channel number 222.

Hereinbelow, the respective items of the attribute
information 214 will be described.

The ISRC information 215 is unique identification
information for identifying the music data 205, and includes
the same structure as that of the ISRC information 208
described above. The ISRC information 215 is used for
comparing with the ISRC information 208.

The music name 216 and the singer name 217 are
character information indicating the name of the music data
and the name of the singer, respectively.

The recorded flag 218 is information indicating
whether or not the music data has been recorded on the
recording medium 106. For example, when music data
corresponding to the music number #1 has not been recorded
on the recording medium 106, the recorded flag 218 of the
attribute information 214 for the music number #1 has a
value of "0". When the music data corresponding to the music
number #1 has been recorded on the recording medium 106,
the recorded flag 218 of the attribute information 214 for
the music number #1 has a value of "1". Thus, the recorded
flag 218 makes it possible to define the reproduction path
information 211 including music data which has not been
recorded on the recording medium 106.

The index number 219 has the same value as that of
the index number 207 of the music data when the music data
has been recorded on the recording medium 106, or has a value
"0" when the music data has not been recorded on the recording
medium 106. When the music data has been recorded on the
recording medium 106, the index number 207 having the same
value as that of the index number 219 is searched, to specify
the recording address 209 of the music data corresponding
to the searched index number 207, and thus to specify the
recording position of the music data. In this way, music
data to be reproduced can be retrieved.

The URL information 220 indicates a location from
where the music data will be obtained. The URL
information 220 is described by a uniform resource locator
(URL) method, which is a descriptive method indicating the
location of a resource in the Internet. This makes it
possible to obtain music data via the Internet. The
descriptive method for the URL information 220 is not
limited to the URL method, but any descriptive method may
be employed for indicating the resource of the music data.
This makes it possible to specify a location from where music
data will be obtained even if the music data is not recorded
on the recording medium 106.

The compression form information 221 indicates the
compression form for the music data. Examples of the
compression form include an LPCM method, an advance audio
coding (AAC) method, and an MPEG 1 Layer 3 (MP3) method.
For example, the value "0" of the compression form
information 221 indicates the LPCM method, "1" indicates
the AAC method, and the "2" indicates the MP3 method.

The channel number 222 indicates the channel number
of music data. For example, the value "2" of the channel
number 222 indicates 2 ch., and the value "6" of the channel
number 222 indicates 6 ch.

The contents of the attribute information 214 are
not limited to the items described above. For example, the
attribute information 214 may include information
indicating the bit rate, the number of quantization, and
the like.

As described above, in the structure illustrated in
Figure 1, a plurality of reproduction orders can be defined
by recording a plurality of reproduction path
information 211. Moreover, the reproduction order can be
defined for part of music data recorded on the recording
medium 106. This makes it possible the user to define a
favorite reproduction order for favorite music data among
a large number of music data recorded on the recording
medium 106.

By providing the recorded flag 218, it is possible
to determine whether or not the music data for which
reproduction order is defined by the reproduction path
information 211 has been recorded on the recording
medium 106. This makes it possible to define the
reproduction order of music data which has not been recorded
on the recording medium 106 using the reproduction path
information 211. It is also possible to obtain music data
which has not been recorded on the recording medium 106 using
the URL information 220.

(Example 2)

Figure 2 illustrates a construction of a recording
apparatus 100 of Example 2 according to the present
invention. The recording apparatus 100 is typically a
computer (e.g., a personal computer). The recording
apparatus 100 includes an input section 101, a
communication section 103, a controller 104, a
recorder 105, and a retrieval section 107.

The recording medium 106 is a recording medium
described in Example 1. Digital data having a structure
shown in Figure 1 is recorded on the recording medium 106.
A DVD-RAM is preferable as the recording medium 106. The
recording medium 106 is accessed by the recorder 105 and
the retrieval section 107.

The function of respective sections included in the
recording apparatus 100 can be realized when the computer
executes programs. Such programs can be provided by being
recorded on a program storage medium such as a floppy disc
and a CD-ROM. Alternatively, the programs may be provided
by being carried by a communication medium such as carrier
wave. By installing the thus-provided programs to the
computer, the computer can be operated as the recording
apparatus 100.

Part or all of the functions of the respective
sections included in the recording apparatus 100 may be
implemented by hardware.

Hereinbelow, the functions of the respective
sections included in the recording apparatus 100 will be
described.

The input section 101 receives an instruction from
the user, including an instruction of recording reproduction
path information and an instruction of recording music data,
for example. As the input section 101, any input device such
as a keyboard and a mouse may be used.

The display section 102 presents information such
as reproduction path information to the user. As the display
section 102, any display device such as a display may be
used.

The communication section 103 performs a
communication with a host computer 108. Such a
communication is performed through a public line via a modem,
for example. The communication section 103 is used to
download music data or reproduction path information from
the host computer 108 to the recording apparatus 100, for
example.

The controller 104 determines whether or not music
data has already been recorded on the recording medium 106.
The controller 104 determines whether the data to be
recorded is music data or reproduction path information.
If the data to be recorded is music data, the controller 104
instructs the recorder 105 to record the music data to the
music data section 202 of the recording medium 106. If the
data to be recorded is reproduction path information, the
controller 104 instructs the recorder 105 to record the
reproduction path information to the data management
section 201 of the recording medium 106.

The recorder 105 records the music data or the
reproduction path information on the recording medium 106.

The retrieval section 107 retrieves the music data
and the reproduction path information recorded on the
recording medium 106.

The host computer 108 is in general an apparatus of
an information provider. A large capacity of recording
medium is connected to the host computer 108. A number of
music data or reproduction path information are stored in
the recording medium.

Hereinbelow, the method for obtaining reproduction
path information will be described. Reproduction path
information can be obtained via the Internet, for example.
Alternatively, reproduction path information stored in a
CD-ROM presented as a supplement to a magazine may be
obtained. It is also possible for the user to create new
reproduction path information based on music data recorded
on the recording medium 106. Hereinbelow, the method for
obtaining reproduction path information via the Internet
will be described.

For example, an information provider stores
reproduction path information in the host computer 108, and
provides information as shown in Figure 3 as reproduction
path information via a home page of the information provider.
Referring to Figure 3, a title name 301 indicates the title
of an album of a specific artist, a genre 302 indicates a
category to which the title belongs, including, "pops", "BGM",
"folk song", and the like, and a recording time 303 indicates
the total recording time of music data included in the title.

The above kinds of information are only examples.
Other information which induces the user's will of
purchasing an album may be presented. For example,
information such as the price and the compression form of
data may be presented as required, or the jacket of the album
may be presented as image information. The music data may
also be presented, not in the unit of an album of an artist,
but in any unit desired by the information provider.

The user accesses the borne page provided by the
information provider, so that the recording apparatus 100
can obtain one or more reproduction path information from
the host computer 108 via the communication section 103.
The obtained one or more reproduction path information is
displayed on the display section 102.

The user selects desired reproduction path
information from the one or more reproduction path
information displayed on the display section 102. This
selection is realized by specifying desired reproduction
path information using the input section 101 (e.g., a mouse).
By this selection, detailed information on the selected
reproduction path information can be obtained from the host
computer 108 via the communication section 103. The
detailed information on the selected reproduction path
information is displayed on the display section 102.

Figure 4 shows an example of detailed information
on the reproduction path information of the "title 1" shown
in Figure 3. In other words, Figure 4 is a list of music
data included in the reproduction path information of the
"title 1".

As shown in Figure 4, the detailed information on
the reproduction path information includes a music name 401,
a singer name 402, a recording time 403, and URL
information 404. In this example, the order of the display
of the music names indicates the reproduction order of the
music data. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 4,
the music data are reproduced in the order of Song 1, Song 2,
Song 3, and Song 4.

Based on the above information, the user selects
favorite reproduction path information. The selected
reproduction path information is downloaded from the host
computer 108 to the recording apparatus 100 via the
communication section 103. The downloaded reproduction
path information is recorded on the reproduction path
information management portion 204 in the data management
section 201 of the recording medium 106.

When the reproduction path information is recorded
on the recording medium 106, the value of the number of
reproduction path information 210 is updated to add "1".
This is because the number of reproduction path information
recorded on the recording medium 106 increases by one.

Thus, the reproduction path information is obtained,
and the obtained reproduction path information is recorded
on the recording medium 106.

Next, in the case where reproduction path
information defines the reproduction order of music data
which has not been recorded on the recording medium 106,
a method for recording such unrecorded music data on the
recording medium 106 will be described.

Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary display on the
display section 102 of detailed information on the
reproduction path information of the "title 1" recorded on
the recording medium 106. Referring to Figure 5, the music
name 216 in the reproduction path information 211 recorded
on the recording medium 106 is displayed as a music name 501;
the singer name 217 in the reproduction path information 211
recorded on the recording medium 106 is displayed as a singer
name 502; the recorded flag 218 in the reproduction path
information 211 recorded on the recording medium 106 is
displayed as a recorded flag 503; and the URL
information 220 in the reproduction path information 211
recorded on the recording medium 106 is displayed as URL
information 504.

The reproduction path information 211 recorded on
the recording medium 106 is retrieved by the retrieval
section 107 and output to the controller 104.

The controller 104 determines, by referring to the
recorded flag 218 in the reproduction path information 211,
whether or not there exists music data which is in the
reproduction order defined by the reproduction path
information 211 but has not been recorded on the recording
medium 106. For example, Song 4 shown in Figure 5 is in the
reproduction order defined by the reproduction path
information 211 of the "title 1" but has not been recorded
on the recording medium 106. When such unrecorded music
data exists, a message asking the user whether or not the
unrecorded music data should be downloaded is displayed on
the display section 102.

When the user desires to download such music data,
the user sends a download request via the input section 101.
On receipt of the download request, the controller 104
specifies the provider of the music data by referring to
the URL information 220 in the reproduction path
information 211 recorded on the recording medium 106, and
accesses the host computer 108 via the communication
section 103. Thus, the desired music data is downloaded.

The downloaded music data is recorded on the music
data section 202 of the recording medium 106 by the
recorder 105. The recorder 105 updates the number of music
data 206 in the music data management portion 203 by adding
"1", and sets the value of the index number 207 for the
downloaded music data at the value of the updated number
of music data 206. The recorder 105 further records the
recording address 209 indicating the recording start and
end positions of the downloaded music data on the recording
medium 106, and rewrites the value of the recorded flag 218
and the value of the index number 219.

Hereinbelow, the operation of the recording
apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Figures 6
and 7.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of
recording reproduction path information and the operation
of determining whether or not music data in the reproduction
path information has been recorded on the recording medium.

First, reproduction path information is obtained
and recorded on the recording medium 106 as the reproduction
path information 211 (step S601). The reproduction path
information is not limited to being obtained externally.
For example, reproduction path information can be newly
created in response to an instruction input from the user
via the input section 101.

The retrieval section 107 retrieves the number of
music data 212 (hereinbelow, denoted by L) in the
reproduction path information 211, and initializes the
counter for the number of music data (hereinafter, denoted
by i) for the reproduction path information 211 (step S602).

The controller 104 compares the number of music
data L with the counter i (step S603). This comparison is
made to determine whether or not all of music data for which
the reproduction order is defined by the reproduction path
information 211 have been checked.

If the counter i is equal to or larger than the number
of music data L (i.e., if all of music data for which the
reproduction order is defined by the reproduction path
information 211 have been checked), a list of unrecorded
music data is shown on the display section 102 (step S610).
Whether or not music data has been recorded on the recording
medium 106 is determined by referring to the value of the
recorded flag 218 in the reproduction path information 211.
If the value of the recorded flag 218 is "0', the music data
is determined to have not been recorded on the recording
medium 106.

If the counter i is smaller than the number of music
data L (i.e., if at least one music data for which the
reproduction order is defined by the reproduction path
information 211 has not been checked), the retrieval
section 107 retrieves the number of music data 206
(hereinafter, denoted by N) in the music data management
portion 203, and initializes the counter for the number of
music data (hereinafter, denoted by j) in the music data
management portion 203 (step S602).

The controller 104 compares the number of music
data N with the counter j (step S605).

If the counter j is equal to or larger than the number
of music data N (i.e., if the check of whether or not specific
music data in the reproduction path information 211 has been
recorded on the recording medium 106 has been completed),
the counter i is incremented by "1" (step S608) and the
process returns to step S603 for check of the next music
data in the reproduction path information 211.

If the counter j is smaller than the number of music
data N (i.e., if the check of whether or not specific music
data in the reproduction path information 211 has been
recorded on the recording medium 106 has not been completed),
the ISRC information 215 in the reproduction path
information 211 is compared with the ISRC information 208
in the music data management portion 203 (step S606).

If the ISRC information 215 and the ISRC
information 208 are different from each other, this means
that the specific music data in the reproduction path
information 211 has not been recorded on the recording
medium 106. In such a case, the counter j is incremented
by "1" (step S607), and the process returns to step S605
for check of the next music data recorded on the music data
management portion 203.

If the ISRC information 215 and the ISRC
information 208 match with each other, this means that the
specific music data in the reproduction path information 211
has already been recorded on the recording medium 106. In
such a case, the value of the recorded flag 218 is changed
from "0" to "1", and the value of the index number 219 is
changed to the value of the index number 207 of the
corresponding music data (step S609). Thereafter, the
counter i is incremented by "1" (step S608), and the process
returns to step S603 for a cheek of the next music data in
the reproduction path information 211.

When the check of whether or not the music data for
which the reproduction order is defined by the reproduction
path information 211 has been recorded an the recording
medium 106 has been completed, the music data corresponding
to the value "0" of the recorded flag 218 is displayed on
the display section 102 as unrecorded music data
(step S610).

Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of
recording music data, which is in the reproduction order
defined by the reproduction path information 211 but has
not been recorded on the recording medium 106, on the
recording medium 106.

Whether or not the user has instructed to record
unrecorded music data is determined (step S701). Recording
instruction from the user is input into the controller 104
via the input section 101.

If such recording instruction from the user exists,
the controller 104 specifies a location from where the
unrecorded music data will be obtained based on the URL
information 220 corresponding to the unrecorded music data
(step S702). The controller 104 downloads the desired
music data via the communication section 103 based on the
information on the specified location (step S703).

The recorder 105 records the downloaded music data
on the music data section 202 of the recording medium 106,
and updates the management information on the downloaded
music data (step S704). More specifically, the
recorder 105 adds "1" to the number of music data 206, sets
the value of the index number 207 at the value of the number
of music data 206, and writes the values of the ISRC
information 208 and the recording address 209 for the music
data. The value of the recorded flag 218 in the recording
path information 211 is changed to "1" which indicates
"recorded", and the value of the index number 219 is changed
to the value of the index number 207.

Whether or not unrecorded music data still remains
is determined (step S705). If yes, the process returns to
step S701.

If all unrecorded music data are recorded on the
recording medium 106 (step S705), or if the user instructs
to terminate the operation (step S706), the process is
terminated.

(Example 3)

Figure 8 illustrates a construction of a
reproduction apparatus 800 of Example 3 according to the
present invention. The reproduction apparatus 800, which
is typically a portable player, includes an input
section 801, a controller 802, a display section 803, a
retrieval section 804, and a reproduction section 805.

The recording medium 106 is the recording medium
described in Example 1. Digital data having a structure
shown in Figure 1 is recorded on the recording medium 106.
The recording medium 106 is accessed by the retrieval
section 804.

The reproduction apparatus 800 is not limited to a
portable player. The reproduction apparatus 800 may be an
installed-type player, or a personal computer as described
in Example 2.

The input section 801 receives an instruction from
the user. The instruction from the user as used herein
indicates operations such as reproduction, stop, fast-forwarding,
rewinding, and temporary stop ("pause").

The controller 802 interprets the instruction from
the user received by the input section 801, and instructs
the retrieval section 804 to retrieve appropriate data from
the recording medium 106. Alternatively, the
controller 802 may terminate the reproduction.

The display section 803 displays the reproduction
path information name, the music name, the reproduction
lapse time, and the like, for the ongoing reproduction.
Based on such information, the user selects desired
reproduction path information via the input section 801.

The retrieval section 804 retrieves reproduction
path information and music data to be reproduced from the
recording medium 106.

The reproduction section 805 decodes music data
retrieved by the retrieval section 804 and reproduces the
music data.

Hereinbelow, the operation of the reproduction
apparatus 800 will be described with reference to Figure 9.

In this example, when there exists music data which
is in the reproduction order defined by the reproduction
path information 211 but has not been recorded on the
recording medium 106, the reproduction apparatus 800 skips
the music data to reproduce the next music data.

The retrieval section 804 retrieves the
reproduction path information 211 recorded on the recording
medium 106, and displays a list of the reproduction path
information names 213 of the reproduction path
information 211 (step S901).

Upon receipt of a reproduction instruction from the
user via the input section 801 (step S902), the
controller 802 interprets the reproduction instruction and
instructs the retrieval section 804 to retrieve the selected
reproduction path information 211 from the recording
medium 106. The retrieval section 804 retrieves the
selected reproduction path information 211 from the
recording medium 106 in response to the instruction from
the controller 802 (step S903).

The controller 802 obtains the number of music
data 212 (hereinafter, denoted by L) in the retrieved
reproduction path information 211, and initializes the
counter k for music data reproduction (step S904).

The controller 802 compares the number of music
data L with the counter k (step S905). If the counter k is
equal to or larger than the number of music data L, it is
determined that there is no music data to be reproduced.
The process is then terminated. If the counter k is smaller
than the number of music data L, it is determined that there
is music data to be reproduced. The process then proceeds
to step S906.

The controller 802 determines whether or not the
music data to be reproduced has been recorded on the
recording medium 106 by referring to the value of the
recorded flag 218 (step S906).

If the music data to be reproduced has not been
recorded on the recording medium 106, the controller 802
instructs the reproduction section 805 to skip reproduction
of the music data.

If the music data to be reproduced has been recorded
on the recording medium 106, the retrieval section 804
retrieves the index number 219 of the music data to be
reproduced in response to the instruction from the
controller 802. The retrieval section 804 further
retrieves the index number 207 in the music data management
portion 203 which matches with the retrieved index
number 219, and then retrieves the music data 205 recorded
on the recording medium 106 based on the recording
address 209 corresponding to the index number 207. The
retrieved music data 205 is decoded and reproduced by the
reproduction section 805 (step S907).

When the reproduction of the music data 205 is
completed, the counter k is incremented by one (step S908)
and the process returns to step S905 for reproduction of
the next music data.

Thus, as described above, the user can select
desired reproduction path information. Music data recorded
on the recording medium 106 is reproduced according to the
reproduction order defined by the selected reproduction path
information 211. Reproduction of music data which has not
been recorded on the recording medium 106 is skipped.

(Example 4)

Figure 10 illustrates a construction of an editing
apparatus 1000 of Example 4 according to the present
invention. The editing apparatus 1000 includes an input
section 101, a display section 102, an editing section 1001,
a controller 1002, a recorder 1003, and a retrieval
section 1004.

In Figure 10, the same components as those of the
recording apparatus 100 of Example 2 are denoted by the same
reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted
here. It should be noted that functions of the respective
components of the editing apparatus 1000 can be incorporated
in the recording apparatus 100.

The editing section 1001 edits the reproduction
path information in accordance with an editing instruction
input from the user via the input section 101. The editing
instruction as used herein indicates, for example, creation
of reproduction path information, deletion of reproduction
path information, copying of reproduction path information,
change of the order of music data in the reproduction path
information, deletion of music data in the reproduction path
information, and the like.

The controller 1002 receives the reproduction path
information edited by the editing section 1001, and
interprets how the edited reproduction path information is
reflected on the data structure of the reproduction path
information 211 recorded on the recording medium 106. The
controller 1002 controls the recorder 1003 based on the
results of the interpretation.

The recorder 1003 reflects the edited reproduction
path information on the reproduction path information 211
recorded on the recording medium 106 under the control of
the controller 1002.

The retrieval section 1004 retrieves information in
the data management section 201 recorded on the recording
medium 106, and supplies the retrieved information to the
editing section 1001.

Hereinbelow, the operation of the editing
apparatus 1000 will be described.

The retrieval section 1004 retrieves the
reproduction path information 211 recorded on the recording
medium 106. Information included in the retrieved
reproduction path information 211 (e.g., the reproduction
path information name 213 and the like) is displayed on the
display section 102.

The user selects reproduction path information 211
to be edited among reproduction path information 211
displayed on the display section 102. The editing
section 1001 edits the selected reproduction path
information 211 in accordance with an editing instruction
input via the input section 101. For example, the editing
section 1001 changes the reproduction order of music data
defined by the reproduction path information 211, or adds
music data to the reproduction path information 211. Such
added music data may be music data selected by the user from
music data recorded on the recording medium 106, for
example.

The editing section 1001 can also create new
reproduction path information without retrieving
reproduction path information 211 recorded on the recording
medium 106.

The reproduction order of music data defined by the
reproduction path information 211 under editing is
displayed on the display section 102 in the form of a tree,
for example. Such visual display of the reproduction order
of music data allows the user to easily edit the reproduction
path information. As a result, editing efficiency
improves.

Figure 11A illustrates an example of visual display
of the reproduction path information under editing.
Referring to Figure 11A, the respective rectangles
represent music data, and the arrows connecting the adjacent
rectangles represent the reproduction order of the music
data. The example shown in Figure 11A indicates that Song 1,
Song 2, Song 3, and Song 4 are reproduced in this order.

Figure 11B illustrates a graphical user interface
(GUI) for receiving an instruction of switching the editing
mode from the user. Such a GUI is called a tool box.

It is assumed that two types of editing modes, i.e.,
a path change mode and a music data addition mode, are
available, The arrow shown in Figure 11B is an icon
representing the path change mode, while the rectangle shown
in Figure 11B is an icon representing the music data addition
mode.

When the arrow icon is clicked by pressing a mouse
button, the editing mode switches from the music data
addition mode to the path change mode. Likewise, when the
rectangle icon is clicked by pressing the mouse button, the
editing mode switches from the path change mode to the music
data addition mode.

In the path change mode, the input section 101 (e.g.,
a mouse) is used to change the reproduction path information.
For example, by a drag and drop operation by the mouse, the
position of any rectangle shown in Figure 11A can be changed.
The rectangle of Song 1 is selected by pressing the mouse
button. The position of the selected rectangle of Song 1
is changed by moving the mouse while continuing to press
the mouse button. When the rectangle of Song 1 is moved to
a position on the arrow connecting the rectangle of Song 3
and the rectangle of Song 4 by moving the mouse and the
pressing of the mouse button is released at this position,
the rectangle of Song 1 is inserted between the rectangle
of Song 3 and the rectangle of Song 4. Thus, the edit screen
is changed so that the rectangle of Song 3 and the rectangle
of Song 1 are connected via an arrow and the rectangle of
Song 1 and the rectangle of Song 4 are connected via an arrow.
On this renewed screen, the original rectangle of Song 1
displayed above the rectangle of Song 2 has disappeared.
In this way, the reproduction order of Song 1, Song 2, Song 3,
and Song 4 is changed to the reproduction order of Song 2,
Song 3, Song 1, and Song 4.

The editing section 1001 sends a message to the
controller 1002 informing that the reproduction order of
music data has been changed. In response to the message,
the controller 1002 instructs the recorder 1003 to rewrite
the contents of the reproduction path information 211
recorded on the recording medium 106. The recorder 1003
rewrites the contents of the reproduction path
information 211.

When a delete command is input via the keyboard or
the mouse in the state where one rectangle in Figure 11A
is selected, the selected rectangle is deleted from the
reproduction path.

Likewise, when the editing mode is the music data
addition mode, new music data is added at the position
designated by the mouse.

When a music data addition request is input via the
input section 101, the retrieval section 1004 retrieves the
music data management portion 203 recorded on the recording
medium 106. Based on the music name 216 in the retrieved
music data management portion 203, candidate music data for
addition are displayed on the display section 102 as shown
in Figure 11C. The user selects desired music data from the
music data list displayed on the display section 102. For
example, desired music data may be Song 5 shown in
Figure 11C.

In the music data addition mode, if Song 5 is added
so as to be reproduced subsequent to Song 4, the editing
section 1001 sends a message to the controller 1002
informing that the reproduction order of music data has been
changed. In response to the message, the controller 1002
instructs the recorder 1003 to rewrite the contents of the
reproduction path information 211 recorded on the recording
medium 106. The recorder 1003 rewrites the contents of the
reproduction path information 211.

The above examples are merely exemplified as systems
which can expect the best effects of the present invention
at present. It should be considered that any modification
to the present invention without departing from the subject
matter of the present invention is also included within the
scope of the present invention. Specifically, the
following modifications fall within the scope of the present
invention.

The above examples are described using an optical
disc such as a DVD-RAM as the recording medium 106.
Recording medium other than optical discs (e.g., a hard disc,
a semiconductor memory) can also be used as the recording
medium 106.

In the above examples, music data and reproduction
path information are recorded on the same recording
medium 106. Alternatively, the music data and the
reproduction path information may be recorded on different
recording media. For example, reproduction path
information recorded an a floppy disc, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM,
or the like may be obtained, and desired reproduction
path information may be selected among others to download
desired music data and record the downloaded data on a
recording medium such as a DVD-RAM.

In the above examples, data for recording and/or
reproduction is specified to be music data. Alternatively,
data for recording and/or reproduction may be any digital
data. For example, data for recording and/or reproduction
may be image data, text data, or data obtained by combining
these types of data.

In the above examples, data of the LPCM method is
used as music data. Alternatively, data of any method such
as Dolby-AC3, MPEG Audio, and MIDI can be used as music data.

In the above examples, whether or not music data has
been recorded on the recording medium 106 is determined
based on the value of the recorded flag 218 recorded on the
recording medium 106. If it is determined that the music
data has not been recorded on the recording medium 106, music
data is obtained from outside the recording apparatus 100,
and the obtained music data is recorded on the recording
medium 106. In this regard, it is also possible to replace
music data which has been recorded on the recording
medium 106 with music data obtained from outside the
recording apparatus.

For example, when the music data recorded on the
recording medium 106 is a "trial version", it may be
attempted to replace the "trial version" music data with
music data of "complete version", since the "trial versions"
music data may sometimes be low in quality compared with
the "complete version" music data. Also, if music data
recorded on the recording medium 106 becomes defective, the
recorded music data may be replaced with music data obtained
externally.

It is also possible to employ such a reproduction
method that when desired music data are selected among the
music data recorded on the recording medium 106 using the
editing apparatus 1000, the reproduction order of the
selected music data is randomly determined.

The reproduction path information may define a
reproduction path including a branch. By providing a branch
(e.g., conditional branch) in a reproduction path, one
reproduction path information can define two or more
reproduction paths. Such two or more reproduction paths may
have different reproduction order of music data, for
example.

The recording apparatus and the reproduction
apparatus according to the present invention may be realized
by a computer and a program for operating the computer as
the recording apparatus and the reproduction apparatus
described in the above examples.

The above program is stored in a program storage
medium such as a CD-ROM and a DVD-ROM to be distributed in
the market. The program storage medium is not limited to
a disc medium such as a CD-ROM, but may be a cable or wireless
data transmission signal.

Thus, according to the present invention, a
plurality of digital data and a plurality of reproduction
path information are recorded on the recording medium. The
plurality of reproduction path information includes first
reproduction path information defining the reproduction
order of all of the plurality of digital data recorded on
the recording medium and second reproduction path
information defining the reproduction order of at least one
of the plurality of digital data recorded on the recording
medium. This makes it possible the user to define a favorite
reproduction order for favorite digital data among a large
number of digital data.

Flag information indicating whether or not digital
data has been recorded on the recording medium 106 is
provided in the reproduction path information which defines
the reproduction order of the digital data. Accordingly,
using the flag information, it is possible to determine
whether or not the digital data has been recorded on the
recording medium. This makes it possible the user to define
the reproduction order of digital data which has not been
recorded on the recording medium.

Address information indicating a location from
where digital data will be obtained in the reproduction path
information. This makes it easy to obtain the digital data.
In particular, even when the digital data has not been
recorded on the recording medium, it is possible to obtain
the digital data from outside the recording apparatus.

Various other modifications will be apparent to and
can be readily made by those skilled in the art without
departing from the scope and spirit of this invention.
Accordingly, it is not intended that the scope of the claims
appended hereto be limited to the description as set forth
herein, but rather that the claims be broadly construed.

Claims (11)

A recording medium recorded with a plurality of digital
data and a plurality of reproduction path information
defining a reproduction order of the plurality of digital
data,
wherein the plurality of reproduction path
information includes first reproduction path information
defining a reproduction order of all of the plurality of
digital data recorded on the recording medium and second
reproduction path information defining a reproduction order
of at least one of the plurality of digital data recorded
on the recording medium.

A recording medium for recording a plurality of digital
data and reproduction path information defining a
reproduction order of a plurality of digital data,
wherein at least one of the plurality of digital data
is digital data which has not been recorded on the recording
medium, and

the reproduction path information includes flag
information indicating whether or not each of the plurality
of digital data has been recorded on the recording medium.

A recording medium according to claim 2, wherein the
reproduction path information includes address information
indicating a location from where the digital data will be
obtained.

A recording apparatus for recording information on the
recording medium according to claim 1, comprising:

a generator for generating the plurality of
reproduction path information;

a recorder for recording the plurality of digital
data and the plurality of reproduction path information on
the recording medium; and

an editing section for editing at least the
reproduction order defined by the second reproduction path
information.

A recording apparatus for recording information on the
recording medium according to claim 2, comprising:

a controller for controlling obtaining the
reproduction path information: and

a recorder for recording the reproduction path
information on the recording medium.

A recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when
the flag information indicates that the digital data has
not been recorded on the recording medium, the controller
controls obtaining the digital data from outside the
recording apparatus in accordance with the address
information.

A recording apparatus according to claim 5, further
comprising an editing section for editing the reproduction
path information.

A reproduction apparatus for reproducing information
from the recording medium according to claim 1, comprising:

a retrieval section for retrieving selected
reproduction path information among the plurality of
reproduction path information recorded on the recording
medium; and

a reproduction section for reproducing at least one
digital data of the plurality of digital data in accordance
with the selected reproduction path information.

A reproduction apparatus for reproducing information
from the recording medium according to claim 2, comprising:

a retrieval section for retrieving the reproduction
path information recorded on the recording medium;

a controller for determining whether or not the
digital data has been recorded on the recording medium based
on the flag information in the reproduction path
information; and

a reproduction section for reproducing the digital
data when the digital data has been recorded on the recording
medium, or skipping reproduction of the digital data when
the digital data has not been recorded on the recording
medium.

A program storage medium for storing a program which
makes a computer record information on the recording medium
according to claim 1, wherein the program includes the steps
of:

generating the plurality of reproduction path
information;

recording the plurality of digital data and the
plurality of reproduction path information on the recording
medium; and

editing at least the reproduction order defined by
the second reproduction path information.

A program storage medium for storing a program which
makes a computer record information on the recording medium
according to claim 2, wherein the program includes the steps
of:

controlling obtaining the reproduction path
information;

recording the reproduction path information on the
recording medium; and

obtaining the digital data from outside the
recording apparatus in accordance with the address
information when the flag information indicates that the
digital data has not been recorded on the recording medium.

Recording medium having data structure for managing reproduction of multiple reproduction path video data for at least a segment of a title recorded thereon and recording and reproducing methods and apparatuses

A recording medium on which a data containing navigation data is recorded, a method and apparatus for reproducing a data according to navigation data, a method and apparatus for recording a data containing navigation data on a recording medium, and a system for transferring data via a communication route on the basis of navigation data

A recording medium on which a data containing navigation data is recorded, a method and apparatus for reproducing a data according to navigation data, a method and apparatus for recording a data containing navigation data on a recording medium, and a system for transferring data via a communication route on the basis of navigation data